Victoria

MISHAWAKA - Victoria V. Lewis, 89, died Sunday in her home. Survivors include three daughters, Pat Jones, Betty DuJardin and Katherine Riemland, all of Mishawaka; two sons, Daniel Brockway and Dick Brockway, both of Mishawaka; and a stepson, Larry Lewis of Honea Path, N.C. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Fairview Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel. There will be no visitation. Hahn Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

LAS VEGAS -- Christi Balog and John Achterberg married at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. They are home in South Bend. The bride's parents are Victoria and William Cronk of Granger, and the groom's parents are Victoria and J. Kent Achterberg of Osceola.

SOUTH BEND Â? A fiction reading by Esi Edugyan will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Haggar Parlor, Saint MaryÂ?s College. Her debut novel, Â?The Second Life of Samuel Tyne,Â? a moody tale of a black family with racial troubles while trying to settle into a new town in Alberta, Canada, was published internationally and nominated for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Edugyan has degrees in writing from the University of Victoria and Johns Hopkins University. Her work has appeared in several anthologies, including Best New American Voices 2003.

Clara T. Meuleman, 88, of South Bend, passed away on Friday, May 26, 2006, in Holy Cross Care and Rehabilitation Center. Clara was born on April 28, 1918, in South Bend to Lawrence and Victoria (Pioterek). She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray Meuleman; her parents; a son, Kenneth; a grandchild; and by her siblings, Mary, Tony, Casimir, Louis, and Martha. On January 28, 1939, Clara married Ray in Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Belgian), South Bend. She is survived by a daughter, Melanie (Loren)

SOUTH BEND -- Announcing the engagement of Celynn Marie Newland and Timothy Micheal Lyvers, both of Mishawaka, is her mother, Joyce Newland of South Bend. The bride-elect is also the daughter of the late Robert Newland. Victoria and Michael Lyvers of Mishawaka are parents of the prospective groom. A 2007 wedding is planned.

GRANGER Â? Nora and Gregory Jewell of Granger announce the engagement of their daughter, Victoria, and Adam De Beck. The prospective groom is the son of Melody and Victor De Beck of South Bend. An April 18, 2009, wedding is planned.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - Announcing the engagement of Taylor K. Gassner and Robert N. Gudates are her parents, Victoria A. and Dr. Kevin J. Gassner of Sheboygan. The prospective groom is the son of Rosemary J. and Robert T. Gudates of Howards Grove, Wis., formerly of South Bend. An Aug. 8 wedding is planned.

I was recently treated to an excellent eggplant dish, and the cook agreed to share her recipe. It all started when Christopher Haack asked me and Carlos Tejada, of St. Joseph, to officiate a high school soccer scrimmage at Grace Christian School near Watervliet. Chris also is a soccer referee, and like so many others in the soccer world, helps in various other capacities in the sport. In this case, Chris was helping organize and schedule the pre-season practice game between Grace Christian and River Valley High School.

ELKHART - Albert E. Andrews, 80, died at 8:15 p.m. Sunday in Eastlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of natural causes. Survivors include his wife, Victoria; a daughter, Mellissa Beving of Fairfax, Va.; four sons, Jeffrey, Christopher and Gregory, all of Elkhart, and Michael of Baltimore; and a brother, Gordon of Elkhart. There will be no services or visitation. Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

ELKHART -- Victor Marquis remembers Sept. 13, 2007, as the day his disillusionment with his country began. Marquis, a 47-year-old engineer whose two teenage daughters live with him, recalls that night in 2007 when they were taken away and mired in what he calls an unconstitutional system. That night, Marquis says, the family was planning to attend an event that required wearing clothes that his older daughter, Victoria, resisted putting on. Tensions between him and his now-ex-wife were already heading toward divorce, he says, and when 13-year-old Victoria refused to wear the outfit, Marquis became so angry he decided to spank the girl.

ELKHART - Victor Marquis remembers Sept. 13, 2007, as the day his disillusionment with his country began. Marquis, a 47-year-old engineer whose two teenage daughters live with him, recalls that night in 2007 when they were taken away and mired in what he calls an unconstitutional system. That night, Marquis says, the family was planning to attend an event that required wearing clothes that his older daughter, Victoria, resisted putting on. Tensions between him and his now-ex-wife were already heading toward divorce, he says, and when 13-year-old Victoria refused to wear the outfit, Marquis became so angry he decided to spank the girl.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - Announcing the engagement of Taylor K. Gassner and Robert N. Gudates are her parents, Victoria A. and Dr. Kevin J. Gassner of Sheboygan. The prospective groom is the son of Rosemary J. and Robert T. Gudates of Howards Grove, Wis., formerly of South Bend. An Aug. 8 wedding is planned.

GRANGER Â? Nora and Gregory Jewell of Granger announce the engagement of their daughter, Victoria, and Adam De Beck. The prospective groom is the son of Melody and Victor De Beck of South Bend. An April 18, 2009, wedding is planned.

BAGHDAD Al-Sadr moves closer to revoking truce Hard-line Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr threatened "open war" as Iraqi and U.S. forces battled his Mahdi Army militia in two key strongholds Saturday, raising the specter that a truce credited with reducing violence could end soon. The warning was the closest the cleric has come to canceling the truce he called in August, and it coincided with an Iranian denunciation of U.S. airstrikes in support of the Shiite-led government's military offensive.

A&E BRIEFS STAFF REPORTS Information needed for annual Festival Guide The Festival Guide, an annual listing of festivals throughout Indiana and Michigan, is scheduled to be published on May 4. Anyone wishing to submit information should include the name of the entertainment event, a brief description, dates, times, location, admission charge (if applicable) and a daytime phone number for The Tribune's use. Deadline is April 18. Events such as craft shows and holiday bake sales may be submitted to The Tribune to be held for inclusion in the Bazaar Round-up to be published the first Saturday in October and November.

SOUTH BEND Â? A fiction reading by Esi Edugyan will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Haggar Parlor, Saint MaryÂ?s College. Her debut novel, Â?The Second Life of Samuel Tyne,Â? a moody tale of a black family with racial troubles while trying to settle into a new town in Alberta, Canada, was published internationally and nominated for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Edugyan has degrees in writing from the University of Victoria and Johns Hopkins University. Her work has appeared in several anthologies, including Best New American Voices 2003.